Manchester City will lose another crucial player as the Citizens’ injury woes continue this season. Ederson is their latest casualty after a hard-fought 1-1 draw between City and title rivals Liverpool.
The Citizens had gone 1 goal up in the first half, thanks to a John Stones strike from a set piece. Liverpool equalized in the second half through an Alexis Mac Allister penalty, which was conceded by City’s Brazilian goalkeeper.
Ederson injury update
After Ederson clashed with Darwin Nunez in his box in the 47th minute, Manchester City conceded a penalty. But there were more ramifications to it, as the goalkeeper himself got injured. He was treated for some time on the pitch and tried to keep playing, even conceding the resulting penalty goal from Alexis.
However, he dropped down on the pitch again, with his ankle seemingly causing him great discomfort. He was then stretchered off the pitch, with backup keeper Stefan Ortega replacing him. After the game ended, manager Pep Guardiola shared a negative news about the injury. He admitted that he had heard from the medical team’s initial assessment and said, “It doesn’t look good.”
🚨🔵 Éderson leaves the pitch due to injury, as Brazilian goalkeeper has been replaced by Ortega. pic.twitter.com/UXdxFM6Ciw
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 10, 2024
The player is yet to undergo medical tests that will reveal the extent of the injury problem, and only after that can a time period be established for the number of games he will miss. Some initial rumors suggest he could be out for 3-5 weeks, though that is unconfirmed. The injury, however, looks to be threatening for City’s season, as they were earlier left disadvantaged with injuries to Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland.
City will have many crucial games in the next weeks, with a huge title decider against Arsenal, and fixtures in the FA Cup and Champions League. Ederson is a crucial part of Manchester City, and they will certainly miss him. Aside from his underrated saving ability, he is more important to them through his ball playing from the back and his ball distribution.
Who will deputize for Ederson in his absence?
Manchester City will have little options to fill in for their injured goalkeeper Ederson in the next few games. German keeper Stefan Ortega will be their obvious choice, as he is the backup keeper. He was on the pitch yesterday for the rest of the 40 minutes of the game. He even proved to be impressive, saving four shots in that time period, and was praised by his teammates and manager.
Another option is 38 year old Scott Carson, but he will only be likely deployed as an emergency last resort. There is also an option for promoting one of the goalkeepers from the youth team. Nevertheless, Pep would miss Ederson very much, though he won’t have to see one aspect of the Brazilian anymore.
Manchester City will next face Newcastle United in a crucial FA Cup quarter final fixture on Saturday. With no Ederson on the pitch, all hope will be bestowed on Stefan Ortega to impress for City in this crucial period of time.
